Well, of course not. They are going to listen to sales. They are a business after all.

And by all reports, this series is selling at least double of previous Conan series.

well hawthorne DID say fan criticisms of the art suppressed sales of RoK...

"I live, I BURN WITH LIFE, I love, I slay, and am content."
"Here's to brother Painbrush, we drink to his Shade..."
"All Art Is Martial"- RZA

"Our basic purist premise:
ROBERT E. HOWARD, ENTIRELY ALONE, WITHOUT ASSISTANCE FROM ANY OTHER PERSON, CREATED THE CHARACTER CONAN OF CIMMERIA. NO OTHER PERSON OR PERSONS SHOULD BE INTRUDING THEIR WORK INTO THE VOLUMES OF HOWARD'S CONAN STORIES.
In essence, we believe that the work of any creative artist -- writer, painter, illustrator, musician, what-have-you -- is a unique expression of an artistic point of view. It should not be appropriated or altered by others without the artist's consent. No other writer has Robert E. Howard's unique point of view, and no other writer knows what Howard would have done with his character had he lived. Upon his death, his canon, the expression of his artistic vision, became fixed. Tampering with it now is desecration."

there's been worse, but i'm not favoring the peter pan treatment nor the white wash. what happened to burned by suns of a dozen lands and all that.

Yeah, that. And some hermaphrodite version of our favorite barbarian.

again, this is why we need a rubric for creatives.

No point. Dark Horse never listen to us. Sad, but true .

According to Brian Wood, the creative team was following DH's directives.

"Did you deem yourself strong, because you were able to twist the heads off civilized folk, poor weaklings with muscles like rotten string? Hell! Break the neck of a wild Cimmerian bull before you call yourself strong. I did that, before I was a full-grown man...!" - Conan, in "Shadows in Zamboula", by Robert E. Howard"... you speak of Venarium familiarly. Perhaps you were there?""I was," grunted [Conan]. "I was one of the horde that swarmed over the hills. I hadn't yet seen fifteen snows, but already my name was repeated about the council fires." - "Beyond the Black River", by Robert E. Howard

Sure, when word of mouth is bad then sales fall. But word of mouth is very, very good on the Brian Wood Conan. And sales are rising. And ultimately that will determine the direction of a company. Sales.

Is there anyone here who follows the Dark Horse/Conan forums? What are they saying there?

I lost my password, and it is more trouble to reregister than I'm willing to take.

"Did you deem yourself strong, because you were able to twist the heads off civilized folk, poor weaklings with muscles like rotten string? Hell! Break the neck of a wild Cimmerian bull before you call yourself strong. I did that, before I was a full-grown man...!" - Conan, in "Shadows in Zamboula", by Robert E. Howard"... you speak of Venarium familiarly. Perhaps you were there?""I was," grunted [Conan]. "I was one of the horde that swarmed over the hills. I hadn't yet seen fifteen snows, but already my name was repeated about the council fires." - "Beyond the Black River", by Robert E. Howard

The Robert E Howard Comics Group is dedicated to the characters created by Robert E Howard that have appeared in comic book form from Marvel Comics , Dark Horse Comics , BOOM Studios, Cross Plains Comics , Dynamite Entertainment etc.

"Did you deem yourself strong, because you were able to twist the heads off civilized folk, poor weaklings with muscles like rotten string? Hell! Break the neck of a wild Cimmerian bull before you call yourself strong. I did that, before I was a full-grown man...!" - Conan, in "Shadows in Zamboula", by Robert E. Howard"... you speak of Venarium familiarly. Perhaps you were there?""I was," grunted [Conan]. "I was one of the horde that swarmed over the hills. I hadn't yet seen fifteen snows, but already my name was repeated about the council fires." - "Beyond the Black River", by Robert E. Howard

Sure, when word of mouth is bad then sales fall. But word of mouth is very, very good on the Brian Wood Conan. And sales are rising. And ultimately that will determine the direction of a company. Sales.

I must agree with that. Unfortunately. But, you know, good sales do not always equal quality. Especially considering the quality of artwork. There are hundreds of examples. And, that’s what I am talking about…great enjoyment in the visual aspect of a comic.Anyway, according to sales we’ll be looking at this type of Conan for two years, or even worse – maybe for decades? Then, I wish you all immensely enjoy the long ride.I will definitely not buy that ****!

Is there anyone here who follows the Dark Horse/Conan forums? What are they saying there?

I lost my password, and it is more trouble to reregister than I'm willing to take.

Exactly!!! I lost mine too and now it is just difficult to register... I am not posting on Dark Horse`s forums anymore because of that.But that forum is almost dead, nothing happens there, Ironhand. You are not loosing anything.

Sure, when word of mouth is bad then sales fall. But word of mouth is very, very good on the Brian Wood Conan. And sales are rising. And ultimately that will determine the direction of a company. Sales.

I must agree with that. Unfortunately. But, you know, good sales do not always equal quality. Especially considering the quality of artwork. There are hundreds of examples. And, that’s what I am talking about…great enjoyment in the visual aspect of a comic.Anyway, according to sales we’ll be looking at this type of Conan for two years, or even worse – maybe for decades? Then, I wish you all immensely enjoy the long ride.I will definitely not buy that ****!

P.S. -Blessed are the ignorant-.

I enjoyed what I saw in the preview of # 2. If that is what is waiting for us for the next 2 years, I`m in. I and my ignorance.

Is there anyone here who follows the Dark Horse/Conan forums? What are they saying there?

I lost my password, and it is more trouble to reregister than I'm willing to take.

Exactly!!! I lost mine too and now it is just difficult to register... I am not posting on Dark Horse`s forums anymore because of that.But that forum is almost dead, nothing happens there, Ironhand. You are not loosing anything.

Make that three of us. I ended up enhancing my user name to re-sign up. There's a few of us still over there, but it's pretty quiet.

okay i was wondering what was going on. there must be some systemic problem because I couldn't log on for the life of me.

"I live, I BURN WITH LIFE, I love, I slay, and am content."
"Here's to brother Painbrush, we drink to his Shade..."
"All Art Is Martial"- RZA

"Our basic purist premise:
ROBERT E. HOWARD, ENTIRELY ALONE, WITHOUT ASSISTANCE FROM ANY OTHER PERSON, CREATED THE CHARACTER CONAN OF CIMMERIA. NO OTHER PERSON OR PERSONS SHOULD BE INTRUDING THEIR WORK INTO THE VOLUMES OF HOWARD'S CONAN STORIES.
In essence, we believe that the work of any creative artist -- writer, painter, illustrator, musician, what-have-you -- is a unique expression of an artistic point of view. It should not be appropriated or altered by others without the artist's consent. No other writer has Robert E. Howard's unique point of view, and no other writer knows what Howard would have done with his character had he lived. Upon his death, his canon, the expression of his artistic vision, became fixed. Tampering with it now is desecration."

You do realize that in terms of sheer volume, there are about 100 manga for every American comic, and that the US can't compete with Japan in terms of art style and variety of comics. There is no such thing as a "manga standard."

I lived in Japan for about seven years. I saw manga drawn in every style imaginable, from ultra-realistic to ultra-cartoony, to stylized underground stuff, to ... well, pretty much everything.

Say what you want about that picture, but comparing it to manga is just pure ignorance.

As soon as someone criticizes a style, he becomes an "absolute ignorant" right?

It's not "another" comics vs manga discussion I'm trying to bring on, but I admit I wasn't precise enough while criticizing the manga overtones. You simply cannot deny the SHONEN and YAOI elements that are infiltrating the new Conan series.We have a slim, small and almost girly bleached boy ( supposed to be Conan err...) fighting a hairy giant (giant? a tall man, but isn't Conan supposed to be already tall? he isn't 10yo!) while posing simply a hand on him, which is kind of yaoi, never before seen in ANY Conan cover art, I'm sorry to say this.Conan's position in mid-air is very ninja-esque, reminiscent of teenager manga elements imported in american and euro comics this last decade.I am VERY sorry to see the worst manga elements being imported in american and euro comics these days, it's a trend probably started by wapanese and other videogame freaks who constitute a large part of the comicbook market unfortunately.

You can see these videogame elements in movies, comics OUTSIDE of Japan now, while they were absent in the 80's 90's.

You yourself said there are 100 mangas released for every comic, but I don't see what that has to do with clichés: there are some US comics clichés, for example you can see them in the "How to draw comic book heroes and villains" (at amazon) , but there are ALSO manga clichés, clichés proper to each manga style (take for example giant eyes, the shape of the mouth when screaming, a cross on the forehead when unnerved etc), suffices to see any shonen cartoon from the 80's (how they scream, how they jump, run etc). True, some manga are realistic and stray from these cartoonesque elements, but it's far from being the majority.

Having effeminate characters jumping like ninjas in fetus position ,fighting giants, is not something the japanese invented, but it's MUCH more present in their mangas than in euro or US comics from the 80's 90's. The more effeminate, the more we get closer to yaoi CRAP. Marvel did the manga thingy more or less sucessfully, but look at some new comics and especially the euro comics today, they're being more and more influenced by the worst japanese clichés. If oly they could be inspired by the -cool and realistic- stuff.

We already have Elric of Melnibone as a "slim" bleached warrior in our western modern heroic culture, no need to "whiten up" Conan, thinning him down and dwarfing him as well, in an action scene that mimicks the manga BLEACH (kids flying in the air doing ninja moves with their mouths open)

I have to disagree about Prince Elric, he was always meant to be a scrawny white pasty runt who would get his ass kiked sideways if he had one by Conan!

To appreciate Manga or Eastern style art, you need to be coming from that area of the globe, I think it all looks the same to me, but hey I am an ignorant savage that thinks art should depict real life and emcompass the figure as near to real life as possible. Eastern art like our western art steps way outside the box and leaves people flumaxed as shown by some expressionists and surrealist movements over the centuries.

But when it comes to Conan, I want what it says on the packet! 6ft made of Northern steel and moves like a panther when stalking his prey, even when he goes for a carton of milk! Not some pasty assed white git, that looks like tarzan at 12 trying to jump up and face hump a big bad ass FROST Giant! Ok, Dark Horse, enough faffing about and get back to basics. If you need help, go look at my atempt at Conan (Cronan the Dumb Barbarian) and I cant draw ffs!!

?I do not accept as matter of belief certain things in this history, or rather fiction; for some things are diabolical superstitions, some are poetical inventions, some have the semblance of truth, some have not; and some are meant for the entertainment of fools.? Book of Leinster ? 12th century

Well, of course not. They are going to listen to sales. They are a business after all.

And by all reports, this series is selling at least double of previous Conan series.

I have a plan, buy two copies of GIO and Trumans release to come shhh!

?I do not accept as matter of belief certain things in this history, or rather fiction; for some things are diabolical superstitions, some are poetical inventions, some have the semblance of truth, some have not; and some are meant for the entertainment of fools.? Book of Leinster ? 12th century

Just ask yourselves this, why does Dark Horse show Buscemas Conan in the main page if they think Conan is due reshaping?

I like the idea of taking Conan and reshaping him, but not beyond recognition for Crom sake. Stick to the boundaries set by REH and you have a win win situation with fans and new comers. Why try and reinvent the wheel, when we know what works? Yes sales can be helpful, but you have a niche market already with diehard fans, why muddy the waters and loose the fans their already?

But in saying that, I loved Cloonan's version more than what I have seen off Jim's, especially her Belit. His Belit is deformed and absolutely weird!! But may grow on me though.

?I do not accept as matter of belief certain things in this history, or rather fiction; for some things are diabolical superstitions, some are poetical inventions, some have the semblance of truth, some have not; and some are meant for the entertainment of fools.? Book of Leinster ? 12th century

I had almost forgotten that cover. The one showing a bearded Conan in a funny hat fighting a crazed little white boy.

Edited by Ironhand, 15 May 2012 - 06:30 AM.

"Did you deem yourself strong, because you were able to twist the heads off civilized folk, poor weaklings with muscles like rotten string? Hell! Break the neck of a wild Cimmerian bull before you call yourself strong. I did that, before I was a full-grown man...!" - Conan, in "Shadows in Zamboula", by Robert E. Howard"... you speak of Venarium familiarly. Perhaps you were there?""I was," grunted [Conan]. "I was one of the horde that swarmed over the hills. I hadn't yet seen fifteen snows, but already my name was repeated about the council fires." - "Beyond the Black River", by Robert E. Howard

He stood like an image of the unconquerable primordial ? legs braced far apart, head thrust forward, one hand clutching the wall for support, the other gripping the ax on high, with the great corded muscles standing out in iron ridges, and his features frozen in a death snarl of fury ? his eyes blazing?? ? The Phoenix on the Sword, REH